


I'm No Superman

by kellebelle



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Genre: Happy Ending, Hurt Tony, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash, Secret Santa Fic, SteveTonyFest, good guy steve, this is far too sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 10:38:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2769989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kellebelle/pseuds/kellebelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony gets hurt. While he's in the hospital he is on morphine (aka some sort of ridiculous emotional truth serum and Tony is in no way happy about that). Sappy times ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm No Superman

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shaliara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaliara/gifts).



> Written for the SteveTonyFest 2014 Winter Secret Santa gift.
> 
> Shaliara wanted hurt/comfort with a happy ending.
> 
> I'm about as out of it as Tony feels in this fic, so if it ends up being awful we'll just blame it on that.

Tony had always assumed that he’d go out in a great act of heroism for the world to see. Sort of like when he flew that nuke into space and it was broadcast on every single channel. He was Iron Man and it was risky so he knew what he was getting into and there was always the possibility that he wouldn’t make it home alive the next time. He was okay with that though. Not to the point that he actually _wanted_ to die, but if he did, at least it was because he was trying to save the world and it would have been worth it.

 

No. Tony was pretty sure he wasn’t going to die, but as he’d thought before, only an act of gods or terrorism from less than friendly aliens would take him down. That was how he was supposed to go out, but the problem with that was the fact that Tony Stark, without the suit, was only human and yes, he was good with martial arts and making weapons to defend himself out of scraps, he wasn’t necessarily prepared to be blindsided.

 

This is how it started though.

 

Tony had been sitting on a stool in his kitchen, working on a few notes he needed to use for a presentation he was going to give at the next board meeting, on his StarkPad. He of course knew that he’d remember every small detail without needing to even look at the notes, but he knew the board members would be lost and ask a lot more stupid questions if they didn’t have notes to look at. He hated it when they asked questions. His one goal in life was to make board meetings end as quickly as possible.

 

That was when Steve walked in, donning the ugliest Christmas sweater Tony had ever seen in his life and wearing a smile that could light up a city. Tony liked it when Steve smiled. He liked it when Steve talked. And when he walked. And when he breathed. And when he laughed. And okay okay, he likes Steve. A lot. Big deal. Not the point.

 

“I think you should take a break from your work, Tony.”

 

The genius hummed, mostly to acknowledge he’d heard the soldier but didn’t want to say more because that would imply he was actually going to take a break. Which he so wasn’t. Even if Steve got on his knees and begged Tony to stop because he’s overworking himself.

 

Steve took the StarkPad from Tony and leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. He looked a little concerned. “I’m going out to lunch soon. That Italian place a few blocks down. I was hoping you’d join me.” Another bright smile.

 

“Can’t we stay in and order something? It’s cold outside and Pepper will have me assassinated if I don’t at least have notes that even the dumbest of the board members can follow for this meeting. Did I mention that it’s cold outside?”

 

Steve frowned and his gorgeous blue eyes looked sad. Tony knew this move. Tony had perfected this move years ago. He has it on good authority that he has huge brown puppy dog eyes that people can’t resist. So he knew what Steve was doing.

 

“Okay fine. Just remember that I’m putting off a lot of work I need to finish all for you.”

 

That earned him a toothy grin and maybe Tony was lying a little about how much work he had to do. “And I’m sure you’re exaggerating on the amount of work you have left to do on this particular project. Now let’s get going.”

 

Tony grumbled a bit, pretending that he was offended by the idea that he might actually be lying just a little, but he didn’t want to seem too eager to spend time with Steve. He didn’t want Steve to know how eager he was. The thing that Tony knew for sure, no matter how much he wanted more than just friendship with Steve, was the simple fact that he was the absolute king of fucking up. He didn’t want to hurt Steve or make Steve hate him, and that would be if Steve didn’t run for the hills if he ever found out just how much Tony actually liked him. He didn’t deserve Steve even as a friend, much less as something more.

 

After he quickly grabbed a warm jacket, a scarf and a pair of gloves, he found himself walking out onto the sidewalk with Steve who always insisted that they walk somewhere instead of having Happy drive them because it honestly wasn’t that far to walk and a waste of gas. Tony always told Steve that if he ever ended up losing an appendage because of hypothermia that he’d make sure he knew it was his fault for the rest of Tony’s life.

 

They were halfway to their destination when Tony heard someone hollering immediately before he was quickly shoved out of the way and off the sidewalk, straight into the path of a taxicab and all Tony could think immediately before it happened was “oh crap, this isn’t how I’m supposed to die.” And then it was lights out.

 

When Tony opened his eyes, his brain took several moments to comprehend where he was. He tried to move just a little and groaned because everything hurt. Ah yes. Hospital. Just his luck.

 

“Hey, Tony,” a voice that sounded a lot like Steve’s said quietly. When a face came into view it confirmed Tony’s notion that it was Steve talking to him. He looked sad. He looked tired. He looked worried. Tony didn’t like any of these looks on Steve because that meant Steve was upset about something.

 

“What’s going on?” he mumbled almost unintelligibly.

 

Guilt. That’s what the look was. Steve gave him a sad smile. “You were injured a couple of days ago.”

 

“Sucks,” came the genius’ pained reply.

 

Steve laughed a little at that, but it sounded like it was forced and then the soldier grabbed his hand and rubbed circles over the back of it with his thumb. “Yeah it does.”

 

“Can’t move…”

 

“You uh...you broke a few bones. Your leg is broken and your arm.”

 

That was when the doctor walked in. “Ah, look who’s awake. How are we feeling?”

 

“How do you think?”

 

The doctor looked at his chart. “Grumpy,” he said aloud as he also wrote it down. “It’s good to see you alert. You woke up a few times but fell immediately back to sleep. You’re pretty lucky all things considered. You have some cracked ribs, a broken collarbone, broken arm and broken leg.”

 

“I feel so lucky right now,” Tony responded sarcastically.

 

“You’re alive and that’s what’s important. I’m just going to check a few vitals and make sure you have enough morphine. I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

 

Tony stayed quiet as the doctor did his work. Steve was still holding onto his hand and it felt nice. Once he was finished and left the room, the genius turned his head to look at Steve who had that same miserable, guilty look.

 

“I’m so sorry, Tony.”

 

“For what, Cap?”

 

“I wasn’t able to get to you before you were hit. Some jackass had stolen a woman’s purse and shoved you out of the way to get past us. I ended up grabbing him and...it kept me from getting to you. I shouldn’t have…” he sighed. “I should have gone for you first.”

 

“Don’t blame yourself, Steve. It happened too fast. And besides, I could have just as easily been alone and the result would have been the same.”

 

That didn’t seem to make Steve feel better. “But you weren’t alone. And you were out because I wanted you to stop your work and go.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. “Big deal. I wanted to go with you. I was just giving you a hard time because I didn’t want to seem too eager to spend time with you.” Wait he just said that out loud. Oh no.

 

Steve did reward him with a tiny grin. “What are you sayin’?”

 

Tony shrugged and then looked away. “I don’t think it matters much.”

 

And then Steve’s frowny face was back. “Why not?”

 

“Because I like you. I like you a lot.”

 

“I’m not seein’ a problem here. I like you too,” he admitted.

 

“I just...you’re one of my best friends. I’d hate for that to be ruined.”

 

The blond just huffed. “I don’t think it’s going to ruin anything. I just said that I feel the same way.”

 

“Steve, I mean maybe not now. Maybe things would be good, but you’d eventually get tired of me and move on and we’d have a horrible ending and we wouldn’t even be friends anymore because of some huge mistake I will inevitably make that will ruin everything between us and I don’t want to lose you.”

 

Steve was silent for a few moments. “What if I was the one that made a mistake? It can go both ways but I want us. You. Don’t you think it’s worth a try? We could end up being the greatest thing that ever happened to either of us.”

 

“Cap, if there’s one thing I know it’s that I mess up. All the time. No matter how hard I try or how good my intentions might be, I end up getting people killed. Or hurt. I end up screwing up, letting everyone around me down. If I did something to make you hate me, I don’t know how I’d...I think I’d hate myself more than I ever thought possible. And I really need to stop talking.”

 

“You’re only human. We all make mistakes, we do things we’re not proud of, but we learn from them don’t we?”

 

“I’m not good enough for you.”

 

“What does that even mean, Tony?” Steve asked, almost sounding angry.

 

“It just means...you’re good and you always do the right thing and you’re strong and...well I’m not really…” He was having trouble thinking and maybe he had a few holes in his argument but he felt like it was important for Steve to know that being with Tony would be a grave mistake. He’d let Steve down. Steve would leave. Isn’t that how Tony’s life worked? The morphine was really currently messing with his brain.

 

“Yeah I’m calling bullshit on that one.”

 

Tony groaned again and shut his eyes, and when he finally spoke it was slowly and just a bit sluggishly. “When I got hit by that car, the only thought I had was the fact that I wasn’t supposed to go out like that. That wasn’t heroic. That was just bad luck. Maybe I’m not meant to go out as a hero. Look how easy it was for me to end up in a hospital because without the suit I’m just a frail human who can break easily. I’m not strong. Not like you or Thor or the Hulk. Even Natasha and Clint. I rely on machines to do my work for me and without them I can’t exactly walk away from being hit by a car. Not the way you could. Sort of could. Being a genius doesn’t make me any less of a human. And I hate that, you know. I hate that sometimes I feel like maybe I say I’m not a team player because I don’t like knowing that I couldn’t measure up to you guys without the suit. I don’t have the skills that Clint and Natasha have. They’re just as human as me, but I...I’m not as invincible as I like to pretend I am. Obviously. I don’t feel like a true hero though. I feel like one day you’ll realize I’m not needed or that you can put anyone in the suit and you’ll find someone who isn’t as annoying and stubborn and arrogant as me. Please make me stop talking now. Stupid medicine.”

 

Steve leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Tony’s lips. “Tony Stark, don’t you dare say anything like that again. You’re important to us. To me. You’re everything you think you’re not and I’m definitely no better than you. I can’t stop thinking about how I wasn’t able to save you. I almost lost you before I even had you. You are a hero, with or without the suit and I will always admire you and everything you’re able to do. You’re amazing and I just wish you could realize that.”

 

Tony was so tired. “Maybe one day I’ll believe it.”

 

Steve used his other hand to cup Tony’s cheek. “I suppose I have my work cut out for me then. You’ll believe it one day, mister.”

 

“Not likely…”

 

The blond gave him a smile, pressing a kiss to his forehead this time. “We’ll see. Get some sleep. It sounds like you’re struggling to say anything. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

 

Tony smiled sleepily. “Maybe we can have a real date soon.”

 

“I’d like that.”

 

“Me too, Steve.”

 

So maybe he wasn’t proud of the way he ended up in the hospital. He’d probably never feel like he was good enough for Steve, but he’d at least try because Steve was worth the effort. He might even be inclined to work less. Maybe. At least he didn’t die though. He was given a chance to have what he wanted in the end, and that was worth it.

  
Steve would always be worth it. 


End file.
